He could have — should have — made his debut at the Calgary Stampede years ago.

Only a horrific run of bad luck had kept the Eckville driver from realizing his dream of competing at the Rangeland Derby over the past few years.

He’s finished a handful of points shy of the last qualifying hole more than once. One year was particularly painful.

“One time, I was 18th going into the final day,” McCurrach said. “I had a pole horse put his leg over a tug and I had to pull up.

“I dropped from 18th to 23rd and 22 made it to Calgary.

“It was one day that screwed us up, but you can’t be down.”

A man with less patience might have hung up the reins. Not McCurrach.

Even the horse— a grey right wheeler named Googles — that cost him a trip to Calgary was forgiven and is playing a major role on the 37-year-old’s outfit.

“He’s still with me,” he said. “Even though he cost me, he’s a good horse.”

McCurrach (ATB Financial) has looked like anything but a rookie at this year’s Stampede. He came off Barrel 3 Sunday night and circled the track in 1:19.44.

McCurrach admitted he felt a few extra butterflies on opening night, driving in front of an overflow crowd.

“I was a little jittery,” he said. “What caught me off-guard that first night was all the interviews and them asking me what I’ll feel like. I had never thought about it before.

“I usually get nervous about an hour before, but once I get the lines in my hands, it feels natural.

“The horses were a little jittery, too. I went in for the practice turn and it wasn’t the prettiest in the world.”

McCurrach dropped from ninth to 14th Sunday, but he’s still in the thick of the hunt for one of eight semifinal spots.

He’s also in a three-way fight for the Orville Strandquist Award as the Rangeland Derby’s top rookie driver.

B.J. Carey is first with $6,850, followed by McCurrach ($6,350) and John Walters ($6,100).

“We’re staying steady, driving them through the barrels and letting them run on the track.

“That team has really been running since High River.

“They’re not spectacular in the barrels, but they do their job.”

Most rookies pay their dues for a few years before making any serious noise at the Rangeland Derby. McCurrach said he’s just trying to do his job for 10 nights.

“I was asked if the veterans are feeling any heat,” he said. “I said, not after one or two days.

“If I’m in the final four or the top eight, maybe they’ll start thinking I’m a challenger.

“But after a couple of days, those guys aren’t feeling any heat from me at all. It’s business as usual for everyone, and I have to stick to that motto myself.”

AROUND THE BARRELS

For the second time in three nights, four-time Calgary Stampede champion Hugh Sinclair (Poseidon Concepts Corporation) took the day money with a run of 1:16.11 and moved back atop the aggregate standings.